'All Mountain' is totally dead around here. You need an ENDURO bike Don't forget the XC lid and goggles too. Finally get some totally miss-matched clothes and a bum-bag and you are good to go!

There's the usual arguments going on here (Vancouver) with regards the 'best' wheel size. Personally I've got a 29er, and it punches above it's weight when it comes to rolling through the gnar, but it's pretty bloody boring. If you are not too concerned about winning races or getting KOMs I'd probably get one of the many 650B enduro type bikes that are available now. That'll be great for 90% of the riding around here and the occasional Park day. There's so many good trails around Van and Squamish that you might not even go to Whistler much. I think I've been around 5 times since 2008....

'All Mountain' is totally dead around here. You need an ENDURO bike Don't forget the XC lid and goggles too. Finally get some totally miss-matched clothes and a bum-bag and you are good to go!

Oops! 26 and already out of touch with the youthz

Thanks walleater, I've never ridden a 29er, would be keen have a go on one and do like the look of the Specialized Stumpjumper and Enduro lines. Just a bit afraid they'll be too big as I'm a bit of a short arse.

Looking like a 160mm ish enduro bike is the way to go then. I guess $3000 will get me something half decent 2nd hand.

Was tempted to spend maybe $2500 on an enduro bike and another $1000 on a cheap DH bike for park duties, should be plenty kicking about pink bike, but then I think, will I actually be in the park that often? Will I even have room for two bikes?! I was tempted by something like a Giant Glory as a do it all.

Don't rush into a DH bike just yet. You'll not be riding park until spring 2015 in any event.. so focus on the bike you'll be riding in the evenings/weekend locally.
As walleater says.. 27.5 "enduro" is right on the money as there's now plenty of pedalling to be done on the shore.

Cheers BearBack. How ridable is the stuff on Grouse/Froome in the winter time anyway? Do the trees provide enough snow cover to keep riding or is it generally under a whack of snow? Do you guys to guiding on the shore too?

Just about all of the lower trails will be open the vast majority of the winter, unless we get a freaky snow year. Some of the upper trails (7th Secret is the highest trail on Fromme) can become closed for a month or so but cabin fever then kicks in and riders start pushing up through the snow and maybe walk down the first sections of the trail until the snow clears.

There's also XC orientated stuff on lower Seymour which is just about rideable all year. And then there's Squamish 45 minutes drive up the highway which has some stuff rideable most of the year...

Thanks Mark, I did wonder if arriving in November was a bad call with regards to getting some riding in, but if most of the lower stuff is ridable most of the time then it sounds like I shouldn't be too worried about not seeing a trail for a while.